United States Department Of War
='UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF WAR'= ' ' The Department of War (War Department, USDOW, DOW, DoW or the Pentagon) is the Executive Department of the Government of the United States of America charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government concerned directly with national security and the United States Armed Forces. The Department – headed by the Secretary of War – has three subordinate military departments: the U.S. Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Department of the Army, the U.S. Department of the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Department of the Navy. In addition, there are many Defense Agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the Missile Defense Agency, and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), all of which are under the command of the Secretary of War. DoW also operates several joint services schools, including the National Defense University (NDU) and the National War College (NWC). 'Organizational Structure' 'Chain of Command' The President of the United States is, according to the Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces and Chief Executive of the Federal Government. The Secretary of Defense is the "Principal Assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense", and is vested with statutory authority to lead the Department and all of its component agencies, including military command authority second only to the President. The President and the Secretary of Defense exercise authority and control of the Armed Forces through two distinct branches of the chain of command. One branch runs from the President, through the Secretary of DWarfense, to the Combatant Commanders for missions and forces assigned to their commands. The other branch, used for purposes other than operational direction of forces assigned to the combatant commands, runs from the President through the Secretary of War to the Secretaries of the Military Departments, i.e., the Secretary Of The Air Force, the Secretary Of The Army, the Secretary Of The Coast Guard, and the Secretary Of Navy. The Military Departments, organized separately within the Department, operate under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of that Military Department. The Secretaries of the Military Departments exercise authority through their respective Service Chiefs'' (i.e., Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Army, Commandant Of The Coast Guard, Commandant Of The Marine Corps, and the Chief of Naval Operations)'' over forces not assigned to a Combatant Command. The Service Chiefs, except as otherwise prescribed by law, perform their duties under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretaries of their respective Military Departments, to whom they are directly responsible. In the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, Congress clarified the command line to the combatant commanders and preserved civilian control of the military. The Act states that the operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of War to the Combatant Commanders. The Act permits the President to direct that communications pass through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Secretary of War, and to the Combatant Commanders. This authority places the Chairman in the communications chain. Further, the Act gives the Secretary of War wide latitude to assign the Chairman oversight responsibilities for the activities of the Combatant Commanders. 'Civilian Control' Article II Section 2 of the Constitution designates the President as "Commander in Chief" of the Army, Navy and state militias. The President exercises this supreme command authority through the civilian Secretary of War, who by federal law is the head of the department, has authority direction, and control over the Department of War, and is the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of War. The Secretary's principal deputy is the equally civilian Deputy Secretary of War who is delegated full powers to act for the Secretary of War. The Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) is the Secretary and Deputy Secretary's civilian staff, which includes several Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries of War with functional oversight responsibilities. The Secretaries of the Military Departments, (i.e., the Secretary Of The Air Force, the Secretary Of The Army, the Secretary Of The Coast Guard, and the Secretary Of Navy) are subordinate to the Secretary of War. They have the authority under Title 10 of the United States Code to conduct all the affairs of their respective departments (U.S. Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Department of the Army, the U.S. Department of the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Department of the Navy) within which the military services are organized. Components of the Department of War *Secretary Of War *Deputy Secretary Of War *Under Secretaies Of War *Assistant Secretaries Of War *Deputy Assistant Secretaries Of War *Department Of The Air Force *Department Of The Army *Department Of The Coast Guard *Department Of The Marines *Department Of The Navy *National Guard Bureau <<<< BACK